Fishing brings out the kid in us all

Growing up in Basalt has many advantages, especially when you are a 10-year-old girl with a fly-fisherman father.

We live in a bona-fide fishing town, which is slightly different than, say, growing up in an upscale ski town like Aspen or a bustling metropolis like the Denver Metro area.

Being that I work at one of the two fly shops here in the small drinking town with a big fishing problem, otherwise known as Basalt, I've come to know most of the local fishing contingent and goon squad.

My daughter, Madison, is always kidding me that wherever we go, someone is always asking me how the fishing is.

And, to her credit, she is always being asked if she likes to go fishing, to which she politely answers, yes.

Little do they know that she has been able to tie flies and do whip finishes since she was 4 years old.

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For that matter, I know several fishing guides that can't even tie flies.

Through Basalt Elementary School and in cooperation with the Roaring Fork Conservancy, I was able to teach the art of fishing to her entire fourth-grade class last year.

In the weeks that followed, several of her friends would stop me and tell me, "Mr. Kirk, I caught a trout this big from so and so."

Over the course of the summer I would often see many of my new fourth-grade graduate friends out at Old Pond Park casting their yellow rods, which were donated to them by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

I'd see them riding on their bikes, rods stashed in their backpacks, with soaking wet clothing, laughing hysterically and just having fun going fishing.

This is the way fishing is supposed to be and what continues to make me love this sport — acting like a kid again.

Children never cease to amaze me, so when my daughter asked me this weekend to take one of her friends fishing, I did just that.

My daughter knows me well enough that I'll never say no to going fishing.

I learn from her, too — truth and honesty are things that fishermen are never really all that good at, except when you're a 10-year-old.

So when she outfished me this weekend, (and yes, I was trying) I was ecstatic!

When I was later asked how the fishing was by a friend of mine, I said that we caught a few but it was slow over all.

When she was asked the same question by one of her friends she said that the fishing was awesome and that she landed the biggest fish of the day.

Needless to say, I have a lot of learning left to still do.

Thanks, Madison, for always keeping your dad in check.

— This column is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at (970) 927-4374 or taylorcreek.com.